Good management practice as a means of preventing back disorders in the construction sector

Construction workers are exposed to many serious safety hazards, including those responsible for back injuries. Prevention is difficult in this sector because the work environment is constantly changing. The literature on primary prevention was reviewed in an attempt to develop a basis for new intervention strategies. Back disorders can be directly prevented by administrative and engineering controls that attack the problem at its source. The main approaches identified in the literature to the prevention of back disorders were the integration of safety considerations into the planning of construction work, adoption of good management practices, provision of adequate training, improvement of working conditions, and elimination of biomechanical hazards. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.